Unlocking Success: Hiring the Perfect Social Media Manager for Your B2B Brand

As a B2B executive, the quest to find the ideal social media manager can significantly impact your company's digital marketing success. To streamline this process, it’s crucial to establish a clear understanding of your company's short- and long-term goals, its marketing goals, the necessary internal setup to support your inbound efforts, and the specific qualities to look for in a social media manager.

Establish Your Company and Marketing Goals

Before meeting potential candidates, it's crucial to have a firm grasp of your company's current status and marketing aspirations:

Platform Utilization: What platforms does your company currently use in sales, marketing, and customer experience? Are they effective? Do they communicate with each other? Are metrics tracked using consistent language? What additional platforms do you aim to integrate, and why have you selected these specifically?

• Business Goals: What are your short-term and long-term business objectives for the upcoming year and beyond? Are you looking to boost brand awareness, drive leads, and increase sales, or are you preparing to sell your company? Are your website and backend optimized for click-throughs, sales conversion, and client experience?
• SEO Optimization: Has your website actually been optimized for search engines to ensure maximum visibility and traction? This includes both the technical aspects and professional research on relevant keywords--not the assumed ones that many businesses often function from.
• Budget Allocation: What is your budget for social media management? Are you separately allocating funds for online advertising, apart from the management budget?
• Definition of Success: How do you measure success in online marketing? Is it increased engagement, lead generation, conversions, a combination of these factors, or something else?

The Internal Tech Setup

A robust internal tech setup goes beyond data ownership and extends to various facets critical for comprehensive online marketing.

• Targeted Landing Pages: Do you have dedicated and optimized landing pages tailored for specific campaigns? Are these pages designed to drive conversions and capture essential information from potential leads?
• Lead Capture and Integration: Is your system equipped to capture vital prospect information, including email addresses and relevant contact details? Additionally, does this setup seamlessly integrate with your CRM to ensure cohesive management of leads and prospects?
• Follow-Up Processes: Are there established processes in place to promptly follow up with interested prospects? Ensuring a swift and relevant response is vital for nurturing these leads through the sales funnel.
• Content Creation and Approval: Is there a streamlined process in place for creating varied content types like video, text, and images? Moreover, are there efficient approval workflows to maintain brand consistency and quality standards?
• Manager Support and Issue Resolution: Does the internal setup provide adequate support for the social media manager in case of issues or challenges? Having a resource or process in place for troubleshooting issues ensures seamless operations and timely resolution of any impediments.

A comprehensive internal tech setup that includes targeted landing pages, streamlined lead capture processes, seamless integration with CRMs, content creation workflows, and robust support mechanisms for the social media manager is fundamental for a successful online marketing strategy.

Qualities to Look for in a Social Media Manager

Selecting the right social media manager is pivotal for your brand’s success. The following traits are essential to consider:

• Brand Voice Mastery: Can the candidate seamlessly adopt and replicate your brand's tone, style, and voice in their content creation and engagement strategies?
• Platform Algorithm Expertise: Do they understand the mechanisms and algorithms governing various social media platforms? Can they leverage these insights to optimize content for better reach and engagement?
• Results-Driven Approach: Are they capable of driving outcomes that align with your company’s goals rather than merely tracking likes, comments, and shares?
• Ownership and Collaboration: Will they ensure that you own all data and access while supporting your account management and digital strategy? Are they committed to updating and collaborating with you on audience interactions, ensuring no surprises at events due to unaddressed conversations?

Reality Check on Costs

Understanding the costs associated with proficient social media management also entails recognizing the potential need for a well-rounded team structure rather than solely relying on an individual expert:

• Diverse Skill Sets: Some social media professionals excel in the technical aspects, while others specialize in creative content. There might be individuals well-versed in analytics and platform algorithms, while others are adept at crafting compelling, visually striking content. It's rare to find a single individual who embodies all these traits, often referred to as unicorns in the industry.
• Team Dynamics: Creating a team that amalgamates technical prowess and creative ingenuity often yields more comprehensive results. While unicorns may possess both skill sets, their expertise is usually reflected in higher costs. It’s important to recognize that assembling a team can offer a diverse skill set at a more manageable cost compared to hiring an individual unicorn.
• Balancing Costs and Expertise: Recognize that assembling a team of specialists may provide a more cost-effective solution without compromising on skill diversity. While unicorns might seem attractive, they tend to be more expensive due to their rare blend of technical and creative expertise, potentially driving costs higher than a well-structured team.

Consideration of team dynamics and the unique skill sets they bring can potentially offer a more balanced approach to achieving business goals through social media, without solely relying on an individual expert. 

Understanding the costs associated with proficient social media management also entails recognizing the potential need for a well-rounded team structure rather than solely relying on an individual expert:

Diverse Skill Sets: Some social media professionals excel in the technical aspects, while others specialize in creative content. There might be individuals well-versed in analytics and platform algorithms, while others are adept at crafting compelling, visually striking content. It's rare to find a single individual who embodies all these traits, often referred to as unicorns in the industry.

Team Dynamics: Creating a team that amalgamates technical prowess and creative ingenuity often yields more comprehensive results. While unicorns may possess both skill sets, their expertise is usually reflected in higher costs. It’s important to recognize that assembling a team can offer a diverse skill set at a more manageable cost compared to hiring an individual unicorn.

Balancing Costs and Expertise: Recognize that assembling a team of specialists may provide a more cost-effective solution without compromising on skill diversity. While unicorns might seem attractive, they tend to be more expensive due to their rare blend of technical and creative expertise, potentially driving costs higher than a well-structured team.

Consideration of team dynamics and the unique skill sets they bring can potentially offer a more balanced approach to achieving business goals through social media, without solely relying on an individual expert.

Omicle delivers brand clarity, marketing strategy, and operational efficiency to prepare leaders to scale their business. If you are ready to scale your business, contact us today to get started.